Washing apparatus.



W. C. FORSEE.

WASHING APPARATUS APPLICATION FILED DEC. 3. 1912.

Patented July 2, 191,8.

QWi Mmoo era 1 WILLIAM C. JEORSJEE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

WA$HING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 2, 12121 Application filed December 3, 1917. Serial No. 205,189.

highly efficient apparatus for washingv clothes or other articles, it being my intention I to provide means for intermittently forcing a blast of steam andscalding water upwardly through the articles in the wash ing receptacle, the hot water returning to its previous level after each blast.

With the foregoing general object in view, the invention resides in the novel features of construction and unique combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, a vertical section of the improved washing apparatus is shown.

The numeral 1 designates a boiler whose wall 2 is increased in diameter atits upper end as shown at 3, a downwardly and inwardly inclined ledge 4: being formed at the V juncture of the two diameters. The upper side of the ledge 4: is provided with a suitable water seal trough 5 in which is received the depending flange 6 of an inclined cover 7, the highest point of said cover having steam outlet perforations 8 which discharge,

into the space surrounded by a continuous wall'9 which rises from the cover, said Wall also having outlet perforations 10. A horizontal partition 11 is provided in the wall 9 and supports a weight 12 which normally holds the cover 7 down in place, but when the ressure beneath this cover rises sufficiently to overcome the weight of the cover andweight 12, said cover will automatically raise to permit the escape of steam and water as hereinafter set forth. A cap 13 is positioned over the wall 9, the. flange 14 of said cap having its lower edge flared as shown at 15 and positioned opposite the perforations 10. By this arrangement, the flared edge 15 constitutes steam retarding means, so that a quantity of the steam will be caused to condense and drip onto the cover 7, from which it will trickle into the trough 5.

Positioned in the boiler 1, is a receptacle 16 for the articles to be washed, the wall 17 and the bottom 18 of said receptacle being spaced from the wall and bottom of the boiler 1. The upper edge of wall 17 is turned outwardly at 19; and secured in anyv suitable steam tight manner to the wall 2 of the boiler 1 whereby a continuous steam dome 20 is provided between the walls of the receptacle 16 and the boiler 1. This dome is without communication with the interior of the receptacle 16, except through a passage 21 in the form of a short tube or the like depending from the bottom 18 into the boiler. The dome 20, however, may be placed in communication with the atmos phere, whenever. required, by means of a suitable vent or valve 22 at the upper end thereof.

The bottom 18 is provided with a grating I 23 spaced above the same to support the articles to be washed, and a similar grating 24: is supported upon suitable ledges 24z, substantially midway the upper and lower ends of the receptacle 16, said last named grating serving to divide the receptacleinto two compartments for the soiled articles. These articles are held within the upper compartment by a third grating 25 which may well rest upon the outwardly turned upper endof the receptacle 16. The two grates 24 and 25 are held removably in place by suitablespring catches or the like such as those indicated at 26 in the drawing.

In operation, the entire device is supported above a suitable heater 27 which may well be one of the burners of an ordinary gas stove. The receptacle 16 is now filled with the articles to be cleaned and the gratings 2 1 and 25 are secured in place. By pouring a sufficient quantity of water into, the receptacle 16, with the vent 22 opened, both said receptacle and the boiler 1 will be filled to the required extent, preferably as shown. in the drawing. The vent 22 is now closed and the cover 7 applied. If required, water may be poured into the trough 5 to seal the latter, but in most cases this is unnecessary, sincethe water of condensation on the inner side of the inclined cover 7, will trickle downwardly along this cover and will soon accumulate in suflicient quantity in the trough 5 to form an efiective water seal.

,1 the operation. of the device, strikes the loafilje As the water boilsj steam will accumulate in the dome 20 so that the Water level Within the boiler is gradually forced downwardly, Whereas that in the receptacle 16 is correspondingly raised. VVhen' the level inlthe boiler has been thus forced downwardly to a sufficient extent, the generation of steam.

the enlarged: upper end of wall 2, partly,

covering thetop The water is thus cooled slightly andthis cooling, together with the partial. vac'uui'nefor'med'in boiler20 by the outrushof Waterand steam, will cause the Waterto again lowerand remain until. the next impulse of steam 18,,16163S6Cll Any escaping steam from perforations 10 dur ng 15 and is partially condensed, so that the water of condensationdrips onto the cover 7 and trickles along the latterint'o' the trough 5. If the latter overflows, the water there-' r hom will be returned to the receptacle 16,

so that little loss occurs. v .4 The outrush of Waterandsteam vbeneath flange 6 is v expedited bythej fact that the internal pressure then overcomes theiweight of the cover 7eand the weight 12, 0. that said cover lifts slightly fr'omthe trough 5'.

As the water seek's its previous level, it must pass downwardly through the articles. Here again, aneflfective, cleaning is exerted.

. In short,the apparatus successively forces strong. blasts of steamandwater upwardly through the articles andbetween said blasts, causing, a downward flow ofhotwater therethrough. Excellent results are thus obtained... 7

.4 i I. am aware that clothes steaming devices somewhat, resembling the present invention, ia ppe ran hav heretofore, been devised, butin all ofsuch apparatuses ,someconstant means of connnunication between the steam dcme and the ,receptacleior the soiled arti-.

cles isprovidedm lemploy no such constant means of, communication and thusthe action of the apparatus is changed entirely for the better; V i f from the foregoing, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will be obyious that althoughmy invention is of extremely simple and inexpensive nature, it willbe highly e fficie'nt jand durable. For these reasons, the several specific details shown. and described are preferably employed, but I wish it understod that within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous minor changes and additions may well be made. For instance, the wall 2 ot the boiler 1 may be provided with a number of openings having removable closures 2S, wherebythe hand and arm may be inserted to clean the dome 2O whenever necessary. Thus, deposits which might otherwise i1npair the efiicicncyot' the apparatus, are prevented from accumulating.

I claim: 7

1. A washing apparatus comprising a re cepfltacle for the soiled articles, a steam-tight water boiler in which the steam is trapped as it is generated, and a water sealed passage for automatically supplying an impulse of steam under pressure to said receptacle Whenever suflicient steam pressure has been generated in the boiler to overcome the resistance of the water.

2. A washing apparatus comprising a water'boiler, a receptacle in said boiler for the soiled articles, the bottom and wall of said receptacle being spaced from the bottom and wall of said boiler, the space between the upper" ends ,of the two walls being sealed in a steam-tigh manner and the upper portions of i said boiler and receptacle forming a sealed chamber for supplying an impulse of steam to said receptacle when sufficient steam pressure has been generated in said boiler to overcome the resistance of the water, said receptacle having means communicating with said sealed chamber and through which said impulse of steam takes p c a e 3. Awashing apparatus comprising a wa. ter boiler, a receptacle in said boiler for the soiled articles, the bottom and wall of said receptacle being spaced from the bottom and wall of said boiler, the space between the upper ends of the two walls being sealed in a steam-tight manner and the upper portions of said boilerand receptacle having no means of communication, the lower end. ofsaid receptacle having a passage for supplying an impulse of steam to said receptacle when suflicient steam pressure has been generated in said boiler to overcome the resistance of the water, a continuous water seal trough adjacent the upper end of said receptacle, the wall of said boiler extending abovesaidtrough, and a cover having a depending continuous flange extending into said trough. I

4. A washing apparatus comprising a water boiler, a receptacle in said boiler for the soiled articles, the bottom and wall of said receptacle being spaced from the bottom and wall of said boiler, the space between the upper ends of the two walls being sealed in a steam-tight manner and the upper portions of said boiler and receptacle having no means of communication, the lower end of said receptacle having a passage for supplying an impulse of steam to said receptacle when sufficient steam pressure has been generated in said boiler to overcome the resistance of the water, a continuous water seal trough adjacent the upper end of said receptacle, the Wall of said boiler extending above said trough, an inclined cover having a continuous depending flange extending into said trough, a steam vent rising from said cover and having outlet perforations opening laterally and steam retarding means spaced outwardly from said perforations for causing partial condensation of escaping steam,

whereby the water of condensation will drip onto said inclined cover and trickle into said trough.

5. In a washing machine, the combination with an inclined cover of a washing chamber in which steam is housed, and a Water seal at the edge of said cover, of a continuous wall rising from a high point of said cover, the latter having a steam outlet into the space surrounded by said Wall and said Wall having outlet perforations, a partition across said Wall above said outlet perforations, a Weight on said partition to hold said cover engaged with said Water seal, and a cap fitting over said well and having the lower edge of its flange flared and disposed opposite the perforations of said wall to form means for partly condensing the steam escaping and causing the water of condensation to drip onto said top, from which it may trickle into said Water seal.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM C. FORSEE.

Witnesses:

(l. S. Owsnnr, WILHELM HEIDELBERGER,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

